Big Muddy rancher
Well-known member
Hope I don't get in trouble for using this. It's from the PCC newsletter
Most commercial producers know they don't need cows that weigh over 1200 pounds. They know that smaller cows can actually produce more total pounds and more profit than big cows on the same forage resources. I visited with my friend, Paul Schultes from South Dakota, on Monday about cow size. Paul said thousands of young bred cows have been selling in western South Dakota. Last week, he gathered up information on all the young, running-age, bred cows that sold at two major sale barns. Their average weight was 1466 pounds. That was the average -- not the maximum. Paul said there are lots of 1600 to 1800 pound cows.
Paul said, "There aren't many real ranches left in western South Dakota. It appears that they have all been crossbred with a feedlot." Paul's point was that they no longer have the type of cattle that can survive without heavy levels of hay and supplementation. PCC has many customers in western South Dakota, so I know Paul was exaggerating a bit. However, if most of the young cows in western South Dakota weigh over 1400 pounds, there is a BIG problem -- and it is getting BIGGER.
Most commercial producers know they don't need cows that weigh over 1200 pounds. They know that smaller cows can actually produce more total pounds and more profit than big cows on the same forage resources. I visited with my friend, Paul Schultes from South Dakota, on Monday about cow size. Paul said thousands of young bred cows have been selling in western South Dakota. Last week, he gathered up information on all the young, running-age, bred cows that sold at two major sale barns. Their average weight was 1466 pounds. That was the average -- not the maximum. Paul said there are lots of 1600 to 1800 pound cows.
Paul said, "There aren't many real ranches left in western South Dakota. It appears that they have all been crossbred with a feedlot." Paul's point was that they no longer have the type of cattle that can survive without heavy levels of hay and supplementation. PCC has many customers in western South Dakota, so I know Paul was exaggerating a bit. However, if most of the young cows in western South Dakota weigh over 1400 pounds, there is a BIG problem -- and it is getting BIGGER.